Mechanical drive



y 1941. w. c. DE ROO MECHANICAL DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet i Filed June 28,1958 Bnnentor (Ittomegs May 13,1941. w. c. DE RO'O 2,241,635

MECHANICAL DRIVE Filed June28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r v I 7: I 48 47/07/7701 Bnnentor panel 2 of any suitable design is provided forPatented May 13, 1941 FIQE.

PATENT o MECHANIGAL DRIVE William 0,. De R00, Kokomo, Ind, assignor toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware This invention relates to indexing means andmore specifically to means for indexing the tuning means for a radioreceiving set to a series of predetermined positions.

In the construction of the present day sets it is desirable to providemeans for indexing or automatically tuning the set with a very smallamount of energy and little attention as to the operation of the means.In other words, it is desirable to provide some form whereby the merepressing of a button will index the tuning shaft to be in correct tunedposition to receive a given station. In this manner it is possible forsmall children, who have no conception as to the mean- Q ing of a dial,to properly tune in a set as well as an older person who does not wishto spend a great deal of time on the dial but may merely casually pressa button and have the set properly tuned.

This is a particular advantage also in automo- 'tive sets where it isdesired not to detract the drivers attention from the road hazards andhe may merely reach over to the instrument panel and press a buttonwithout taking his gaze from the roadway ahead.

It is therefore an'object of my invention to provide a simple and ruggedmeans for automatically tuning a radio receiving set.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a means as willbe of small size and easily adapted to be combined with any of thecommercial sets. I

It is a still further object of my invention to provide an automatictuning device which has a pleasing appearance when applied to a control535 panel.

With these and other objects in view, the embodiments of my inventionwill be best understood by reference to the following specification andclaims and illustrations in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front View of the control panel of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tuning means of my invention, partsbeing broken away and shown in section.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now more specifically to Figure 1, a

mounting the apparatus. In this panel there is provided a suitableindicating dial 4 of conventional design which is connected directly toshaft 6 leading to a bank of tuning condensers 8 whose positiondetermines the resonant frequency of reception, and therefore said dialindicates the position of the condensers.

There is also provided in this panel 2 a series of automatic indexingbuttons it! which through apparatus to belater described will cause thetuning condenser shaft to assume a plurality of different predeterminedangular positions.

There is also provided a knob l2 whichis directly connected to thetuning condensers through apparatus to be described for manually settingthe position of the tuning shaft when desired and a further button Idfor controlling the volume of the set. The remaining control knob I6 isprovided for mechanically operating the connection between the manualtuning knob l2 and the condenser shaft so that until this knob is turnedthe manual tuning knob is not connected to the tuning shaft.

The plate 2 has a series of openings iii through which the variousshafts 29 of the automatic tuning knobs 10 project, said shafts 2i!being threaded for horizontal adjustment. A suitable casing 22 isprovided and is rigidly mounted behind the panel 2 which supports thetuning mechanism and this casing is so mounted that its forward portioncontains a series of openings 24 in aligment with the openings l8 forthe shafts '20. Mounted on the forward face of this casing 22 is ahorizontally slidable plate 25 supported in angled tongues 21, saidplate having openings 28 therein which encircle the shafts 20 but whichare larger than the same .and adapted to allow a tapered collar 30secured to the shafts 20 but spaced a slight distance from the knobs l!)to pass therethrough.

It will be evident therefore that as this shaft 20 is forced inwardly bypressure on the knob l0 that the tapered portion of the collar 3U willforce its way through the opening 28 in the slidable plate 25 until ithas proceeded therethrough and after that a spring such as 32, whichtensions the slidable plate toward the left as shown in Figure 2, Willengage the collar and prevent the knob from moving outwardly again untilreleased. The plate 26 is of course spring-biased by a spring 32 to theleft of the assembly against a stop such as 34 at all times and is onlymoved to the right by one of the collars engaging the edge of theopening to force it over as it progresses therethrough. Thisconstruction provides locking means when any one of the automatic knobsis depressed and also enables the knob depressed to be released as soonas one of the others is pressed inwardly and moves the plate over sothat only one can be in tuned position at a time.

Supported to the rear of the forward face of the casing 22 is a blockmember 36 having a plurality of cylindrical openings 38 therein, theaxis of said openings being in axial alignment to the position of theshafts 26 and being the same mumber as the shafts. Within each one ofthese openings 38 there is provided a compression spring 49 and alongitudinally movable piston member 42 having an enlarged head portionagainst which the compression spring 48 seats, the opposite end of thespring seating against the base of the cylindrical opening. In this baseis provided a small opening 44 and the member 42 is adapted to projecttherethrough so that it may be forced in and out of said opening butbeing spring biased to a position Where it is in substantial alignmentwith the base of the member 36, said member 42 being provided with acylindrical center bore 46 which is screw-threaded and adapted tocooperate with the end of the shaft 20 so that the same may be screwedinwardly or outwardly for adjustment purposes.

One side of the opening 44 is provided with a small key 48 which isadapted to seat in a keyway 56 in the member 42 so that the same may belongitudinally moved but held against rotation when it is desired toadjust the shaft 26 within the member 42. It is thus obvious that theknob I6 may by rotation be given different longitudinal settings withrespect to the index of the sliding lock plate and that when said knobis depressed the member 42 will be pressed inwardly to varying degreesdepending upon the amount the member 26 is screwed into the member 42 inoperation. The construction of each of these automatic setting knobs isidentical and they may all be set at different longitudinal positions sothat they may index the tuning shaft to different positions.

Mounted to the rear of the block 36 is an an-v gular movable plate 52having in its center a flanged opening 54 adapted to encircle and. slideupon a member 56 around the shaft 6, said member 56 acting as a bearingand an alignment member for the movable plate 52. This plate isspringbiased against the rear face of the block 36 by tension springs58, one end of which is connected to the block 36 and the other to a pinsuch as 69 projecting from either side of the angled arms 62 of theangular member 52. With this construction it is evident that the angledassembly 52 may move back and forth with respect to the block 36,dependent upon the setting of the particular member 42 which causes itto move away from the block. The arms 62 are provided in the lower faceswith rack teeth such as 64 and above these teeth are also provided slotssuch as 66 through which project supporting members 68 projecting fromthe side of the condenser housing 8.

Also projecting from the side of the housing 8 are the ends of thetuning shaft proper l6 and upon these are provided pinions 12 which areadapted to mesh with the rack teeth 64, one on either side of thecondenser housing, and as the member 52 moves horizontally these rackteeth will cause the tuning shaft to be rotated an amount dependent uponthe position of the rack.

If it is desired .to at any time manually control the position of thetuning shaft, it is necessary only to turn the knob l6 to its verticalposition which knob is mounted on a shaft 14 which projects through theinstrument panel 2 or plate, the housing 22 and also through a boss 16extending from the block 36 mounted on the inner surface of the member22. On the inner end of the shaft there is provided an eccentric cam 18which rotates with the shaft 14 as the knob I6 is turned. The supportingmember 16 supports in an extending arm a small stub shaft which acts asa. pivot for a bell crank member 82 one end of which cooperates with theeccentric l8 and the opposite end such as 84 is positioned under avertically movable angular block 86, one portion of which, 88, issubstantially circular and extends into a circular opening 96 in theblock 36 so that there may be relative vertical movement between thetwo. The member 88 is also hollow and encloses a compression spring 92to force the member 86 down against the end of the bell crank at 84 tonormally disengage the manual knob l 2 from ac tuaticn.

However, when the knob I6 is turned so that the arrow is vertical, theeccentric T8 presses down one end of the bell crank 82 and forces 84upwardly which in turn compresses the spring 92 and forces the member 88up into the circular opening 96. The worm 94 supported upon the end of ashaft 96 which extends through an opening in the member 86 and is drivenby the knob [2, may now engage and drive the rack teeth 98 provided inthe lower surface of a portion of the slidable angular member 52. Thisof course will move the member 52 and cause rotation of the shaft 79 totune the set to any desired position. There is, as before mentioned, avolume control shaft M for controlling the volume of the sound emanatedfrom the loud speaker.

In initially setting each one of the knobs I6 to allow the tuning of apredetermined station, it is only necessary to depress the knob and thenrotate the same until the desired station is in correct tuning position.Thereafter whenever the knob is depressed the tuning shaft will be inthe proper position for reception of that station so that it is onlynecessary to depress the first knob rotated until the desired station isreceived and then immediately depress the second knob and set anotherstation, etc. until the whole manual has been set up to give a desiredcollection of selected stations.

I claim:

1. In a control device, a rotatable shaft, a reciprocable meansoperatively connected thereto for turning the latter, manuallyreciprocable means engaging the first named reciprocable means to causethe same to move, and manually rotatable means adapted to threadedlyengage the first named reciprocable means to cause it to move, saidmovement in either case causing shaft rotation for index purposes.

2. In a control device, a rotatable shaft, a reciprocable meansconnected thereto in driving relation for turning the latter, manuallyreciprocable means engaging the first named reciprocable means to causethe same to move, manually rotatable means adapted to threadedly engagethe first named reciprocable means to cause it to move, said movement ineither case causing shaft rotation for index purposes, and meanscontrolling the engagement of the rotatable means with the first namedreciprocable means.

3. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable tuning shaft carriedthereby, a reciprocable membenoperatively connected to the shaft torotate the same, a block having a plurality of parallel bores carried bythe casing, spring biasing means for maintaining the reciprocable memberagainst the block, plungers movable within the bores to actuate thereciprocable members, rods threaded into the plungers for actuation, atapered enlarged collar on each rod and a slidable locking plate havingopenings through which the rods project for engagement with the taperedcollar for locking purposes.

4. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable tuning shaft carriedthereby, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft torotate the same, a block having a plurality of parallel bores carried bythe casing, spring biasing means for maintaining the reciprocable memberagainst the block, plungers movable within the bores to actuate thereciprocable members, rods threaded into the plungers for actuation, atapered enlarged collar on each rod and a slidable locking plate havingopenings through which the rods project for engagement with the taperedcollar for locking purposes, a toothed portion on said reciprocablemember, a manually operable rotatable shaft, a worm carried thereon,supporting means for the shaft maintaining the worm normally out ofcontact with the toothed portion but movable into engagement so that thereciprocable member may be moved thereby.

5. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable tuning shaft carriedthereby, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft torotate the same, a block having a plurality of parallel bores carried bythe casing, spring biasing means for maintaining the reciprocable memberagainst the block, plungers movable within the bores to actuate thereciprocab le members, rods threaded into the plungers for actuation, atapered enlarged collar on each rod and a slidable locking plate havingopenings through which the rods project for engagement with the taperedcollar for locking purposes, a toothed portion on said reciprocaablemember, a manually operable rotatable shaft, a worm carried thereon,supporting means for the shaft maintaining the worm normally out ofcontact with the toothed portion but movable into engagement so that thereciprocable member may be moved thereby and additional manuallyadjustable means for locking said worm in engagement with the toothedportion.

6. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, areciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft to rotate thesame, trunnion means pivotally supported on the casing, a second shaftrotatably supported on said trunnion means, threaded means on the second shaft and reciprocable member which may be brought into engagementby movement of the trunnion whereby as the second shaft is rotated thereciprocable means will be moved longitudinally.

'7. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, areciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft to rotate thesame, trunnion means pivotally supported on the casing, a second shaftrotatably supported on said trunnion means, threaded means on the secondshaft and reciprocable member which may be brought into engagement bymovement of the trunnion whereby as the second shaft is rotated thereciprocable means will be moved longitudinally and spring biasing meansto normally maintain the threaded means out of engagement but capable ofbeing manually overcome to connect the two for driving.

8. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, aplurality of parallel reciprocable means operatively connected to theshaft to individually cause it to turn, trunnion means pivotally mountedon the casing, a second shaft rotatably supported in the trunnion means,

interengaging means connected between the two shafts whereby therotation of the second will drive the first, said means being separatedwhen the trunnion is in one position and in engagement when in another,and resilient means to maintain the two out of engagement unlessovercome by manual force.

WILLIAM C. DE R00.

